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Abstract:

The present invention provides a method for connecting with a wireless
network device. The method includes following steps: upon configuring the
wireless network device, executing a first target procedure to connect
the wireless network device with the terminal device; executing a second
target procedure, allowing the sharing device to be searched by the
wireless network device according to at least one target signal;
executing a third target procedure to select a target sharing device
corresponding to the wireless network device according to the target
signal; and connecting wirelessly the wireless network device with the
target sharing device.

Claims:

1. A method for connecting with a wireless network device, which is
applied to a wireless network, comprising:executing a first target
procedure, to connect a wireless network device with a terminal
device;executing a second target procedure, enabling at least one sharing
device to be searched by the wireless network device according to at
least one target signal; andexecuting a third target procedure, to
connect the wireless network device wirelessly with a target sharing
device by the target signal.

2. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 2, wherein the first target procedure, the second target procedure
and the third target procedure are used to install the wireless network
device under an initial state.

3. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 2, wherein if the sharing device is to be replaced, then the first
target procedure, the second target procedure and the third target
procedure are executed once more.

4. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the wireless network device is one of a network camera
or an audiovisual server, equipped with a wireless network function.

5. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the sharing device is a wireless network access point.

6. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the terminal device is a personal computer.

7. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the first target procedure includes connecting the
wireless network device with the terminal device by a wired transmission
method.

8. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the first target procedure includes connecting the
wireless network device with the terminal device by a wireless
transmission method.

9. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the second target procedure includes the sharing device
sending out the target signal continuously; searching for the sharing
device; receiving the target signal; interpreting the target signal to
obtain a plurality of target parameters; and transmitting the target
parameters to the terminal device.

10. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the third target procedure includes: identifying these
sharing devices according to the plural target parameters;selecting one
of the sharing devices as the target sharing device;determining whether
the target sharing device uses an encryption function;transmitting a
connection instruction to the wireless network device, provided that the
target sharing device does not use the encryption function; andconnecting
the wireless network device wirelessly with the target sharing device by
the connection instruction.

11. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the third target procedure includes:identifying these
sharing devices according to the plural target parameters;selecting one
of the sharing devices as the target sharing device; determining whether
the target sharing device uses an encryption function;requesting to input
a secret key, provided that the target sharing device uses the encryption
function;transmitting a connection instruction and the secret key to the
wireless network device; andconnecting the wireless network device
wirelessly with the target sharing device by the connection instruction
and the secret key.

12. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the third target procedure further includes after the
terminal device receives the plural target parameters, the terminal
device displaying the corresponding sharing device on a display device,
to select the target sharing device.

13. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the method further includes a test procedure which
comprises following steps:detecting whether the wireless network device
has been connected wirelessly with the sharing device;confirming a
connection state, provided that the wireless network device has been
connected wirelessly with the sharing device;determining in a default
time period whether the wireless network device has received a
confirmation message; andif in the default time period, the wireless
network device has received the confirmation message, then transmitting a
message of connection success to the terminal device.

14. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 13, wherein said terminal device transmits wirelessly the
confirmation message to the wireless network device through the target
sharing device.

15. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the method further includes a test procedure which
comprises following steps:detecting whether the wireless network device
has been connected wirelessly with the sharing device;confirming a
connection state, provided that the wireless network device has been
connected wirelessly with the sharing device;determining in a default
time period whether the terminal device has received a confirmation
message; andif in the default time period, the terminal device has
received the confirmation message, then displaying a message of
connection success.

16. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 15, wherein the wireless network device transmits wirelessly the
confirmation message to the terminal device through the target sharing
device.

17. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the method further includes a test procedure, which
comprises following steps:detecting whether the wireless network device
has been connected wirelessly with the sharing device; andif the wireless
network device has not been connected wirelessly with the sharing device,
then transmitting a message of connection failure to the terminal device.

18. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the method further includes a test procedure, which
comprises following steps:detecting whether the wireless network device
has been connected wirelessly with the sharing device;confirming a
connection state, provided that the wireless network device has been
connected wirelessly with the sharing device;determining in a default
time whether the wireless network device has received a confirmation
message; andif in the default time period, the wireless network device
has not received the confirmation message, then transmitting a message of
connection timeout to the terminal device.

19. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 18, wherein the terminal device transmits wirelessly the
confirmation message to the wireless network device through the target
sharing device.

20. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the method further includes a test procedure, which
comprises following steps:detecting whether the wireless network device
has been connected wirelessly with the sharing device;confirming a
connection state, provided that the wireless network device has been
connected wirelessly with the sharing device;determining in a default
time period whether the terminal device has received a confirmation
message; andif in the default time period, the terminal device has not
received the confirmation message, then displaying a message of
connection timeout.

21. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 20, wherein the wireless network device transmits wirelessly the
confirmation message to the terminal device through the target sharing
device.

22. The method for connecting with a wireless network device, according to
claim 1, wherein the method further includes following steps:after
executing the first target procedure, the second target procedure and the
third target procedure, if the terminal device has received a message of
connection success, then the terminal device displaying an instruction
message to inform a user that the wireless network device has been
connected wirelessly with the target sharing device, so as to remove
wired connection of the wireless network device.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001]a) Field of the Invention

[0002]The present invention relates to a method for installing a wireless
network device, and more particularly to a method that automatically
install a wireless network device.

[0003]b) Description of the Prior Art

[0004]A network camera is used more and more popularly, and is gradually
entering into daily life, such that more and more users are using the
network cameras. Moreover, following the development of a wireless
network, a network camera that is equipped with a wireless network
function begins to show up in the 3C market. However, the first step for
a user to use a wireless network camera is to install the wireless
network camera, such that the network camera can access connection with a
wireless network access point, and is in turn connected to Internet or a
local area network through the wireless network access point. In terms of
the installation of the wireless network camera, typical hardware
architecture is that the wireless network camera is coupled to the
wireless network access point through the Ethernet, and the wireless
network access point is coupled to a personal computer with the Ethernet.
For a conventional installation procedure, the personal computer should
access connection with the corresponding wireless network access point
first, and then, the user will use the personal computer to access the
setup webpage of the wireless network access point to obtain related
parameters of that wireless network access point. Next, the personal
computer should access connection with the wireless network camera, and
then, the user should use the personal computer to access the setup
webpage of the wireless network camera and fill in the parameters in the
corresponding field.

[0005]Accordingly, when the user installs the wireless network camera, he
should first know how to access the setup web pages of the wireless
network access point and the wireless network camera. In addition, the
user should have a fair amount of understanding and knowledge to the
related parameters of the wireless network access point, including SSID,
a condition of data encryption, a code encryption method (WEP, WPA1, WPA)
etc. so that he could fill in the parameters correctly. For the ordinary
user who is not equipped with background knowledge of networking, the
aforementioned installation procedure is rather complicated and is
provided with a considerable difficulty.

[0006]On the other hand, in the conventional installation procedure, once
the user has obtained the related parameters of the wireless network
access point and configured the related parameters into the wireless
network camera, he will not be able to know at once whether the wireless
network camera has been correctly connected with the wireless network
access point. In other words, the user should usually take following
steps to make a confirmation: [0007](1) manually cutting off the wired
connection between the personal computer and the wireless network camera
by, for example, pulling out an Ethernet line between the wireless
network access point and the wireless network camera; and [0008](2)
trying to connecting with the wireless network camera through Internet to
confirm whether the installation has succeeded.

[0009]As the aforementioned installation procedure should be accomplished
with considerable networking knowledge, the ordinary user will often not
be able to configure the wireless network camera correctly by oneself.
Furthermore, as the aforementioned installation procedure is rather
complicated, it will increase a lot of burdens even for a professional
user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010]Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to
provide a method for connecting with a wireless network device. In the
present invention, an automatic installation procedure is provided,
wherein a computer program is used to obtain by itself related parameters
of a wireless network access point, and accomplish a setup procedure
through a wireless network function of the wireless network device,
without requiring a user to proceed with a complicated installation work.

[0011]Accordingly, the present invention discloses a method for connecting
with a wireless network device, which is applied to a wireless network
and includes following steps: a first target procedure is executed to
connect the wireless network device with the terminal device; next, a
second target procedure is executed so that at least one sharing device
is searched by the wireless network device according to at least one
target signal; following that, a third target procedure is executed to
connect the wireless network device wirelessly with the target sharing
device, according to the aforementioned target signal.

[0012]Accordingly, under an initial state, the first target procedure, the
second target procedure and the third target procedure are used to
install the wireless network device.

[0013]Accordingly, if the user executes the first target procedure, the
second target procedure and the third target procedure again, then the
original target sharing device can be replaced with a new target sharing
device.

[0019]Accordingly, the aforementioned second target procedure includes the
searching for the sharing device by the wireless network device; the
reception of the target signal by the wireless network device; the
interpretation of the target signal by the wireless network device to
obtain the plural target parameters; and the transmission of these target
parameters to the terminal device by the wireless network device.

[0020]Accordingly, the aforementioned target parameters include an SSID, a
signal intensity parameter, and an encryption identification parameter.

[0021]Accordingly, the aforementioned third target procedure includes the
identification of at least one sharing device by the terminal device,
according to the plural target parameters; displaying the at least one
corresponding sharing device on the display device by the terminal
device, to allow the user to select one target sharing device; the user
selecting any one sharing device as the target sharing device; the
terminal device determining whether this target sharing device uses an
encryption function; the terminal device transmitting the connection
instruction to the wireless network device, provided that the target
sharing device does not use the encryption function; the wireless network
device being connected wirelessly with the target sharing device by the
connection instruction; requesting the user to input the secret key,
provided that the target sharing device uses the encryption function; the
terminal device transmitting the connection instruction and the secret
key to the wireless network device; and the wireless network device being
connected wirelessly with the target sharing device by the connection
instruction and the secret key.

[0022]Accordingly, the aforementioned method further includes the test
procedure, which comprises the following steps: the wireless network
device detecting whether the sharing device has been connected
wirelessly; the wireless network device confirming the connection state,
provided that the sharing device has been connected wirelessly with the
wireless network device; the terminal device transmitting a confirmation
message to the wireless network device through the target sharing device;
the wireless network device determining whether in the default time
period the confirmation message is received; the message of connection
success being transmitted to the terminal device, provided that in the
default time period the wireless network device has received this
confirmation message; the wireless network device transmitting the
message of connection timeout to the terminal device, provided that in
the default time period the wireless network device has not received this
confirmation message.

[0023]Accordingly, the aforementioned method further includes the
following steps: after accomplishing the first target procedure, the
second target procedure and the third target procedure, the terminal
device displaying the instruction message to inform the user to separate
the wireless network device from the terminal device, provided that the
connection succeeds.

[0024]Accordingly, the present invention omits the complicated setup
procedure of the prior art, and automatically execute the setup work. For
the ordinary user who does not possess the networking background
knowledge, the installation procedure is implemented very easily,
allowing the user to easily install the wireless network camera.
Moreover, for the professional user, the present invention can also
largely reduce his burdens. Therefore, the present invention overcomes
the shortcomings of the prior art, enables the wireless network camera to
be popularized, and allows general public to enjoy the convenience that
is brought by the wireless network camera.

[0025]To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the
technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of
the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the
preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026]FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.

[0027]FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of another preferred embodiment of the
present invention.

[0028]FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a method for connecting with a
wireless network device of the present invention.

[0029]FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a second target procedure of the
present invention.

[0030]FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of a third target procedure of the
present invention.

[0031]FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of a test procedure of the present
invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032]Referring to FIG. 1, it shows a schematic view of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, wherein one of typical architectures
for connecting with a wireless network device 100 comprises a wireless
network device 102, a plurality of sharing devices 104, a target sharing
device 110, a terminal device 106 and a wireless network 108. In this
embodiment, the so-called wireless network device 102 is a network camera
equipped with a wireless network function, the sharing devices 104 and
the target sharing device 110 are wireless network access points, and the
terminal device 106 is a personal computer. First, the user will execute
a first target procedure to connect the wireless network device 102 with
the terminal device 106. In this embodiment, the terminal device 106 is
directly connected with the wireless network device 102 with the
Ethernet. Following that, the wireless network device 102 will execute a
second target procedure. As the plural sharing devices 104 will
continuously send out corresponding target signals, these sharing devices
104 can be searched by the wireless network device 102, through receiving
these target signals. Following that, the wireless network device 102 and
the terminal device 106 will execute a third target procedure. According
to these target signals, the user will select one of the sharing devices
104 as the target sharing device 110. As corresponding target parameters
are accessed by the wireless network device 102, the wireless network
device 102 can carry out wireless connection with the target sharing
device 110.

[0033]Referring to FIG. 2, it shows a schematic view of another preferred
embodiment of the present invention, wherein one of typical architectures
for connecting with a wireless network device 200 comprises a wireless
network device 202, a plurality of sharing devices 204, a target sharing
device 210, a terminal device 206 and a wireless network 208. The
difference of this embodiment with that in FIG. 1 lies in that in the
first target procedure, the terminal device 206 is coupled to the sharing
device 204 by the Ethernet, and the wireless network device 202 is
coupled to the same sharing device 204 by the Ethernet, which in turn
connects the terminal device 206 with the wireless network device 202
through the sharing device 204. It is worthy of mention that the sharing
device 204, which acts as a connection medium between the terminal device
206 and the wireless network device 202 can be a wireless network access
point, or a router, a switch, or a hub.

[0034]Referring to FIG. 3, it shows a flow diagram of a method for
connecting with a wireless network device of the present invention. As
shown in the drawing, the method includes following steps: [0035](1)
The user executes a first target procedure to connect the wireless
network device with the terminal device (302); [0036](2) According to at
least one target signal, the wireless network device executes a second
target procedure, allowing at least one sharing device to be searched by
the wireless network device (304); [0037](3) By that target signal, a
third target procedure is executed to connect the wireless network device
wirelessly with the target sharing device (306).

[0038]Under an initial state, the first target procedure, the second
target procedure and the third target procedure are an installation
program, which is used to install the wireless network device. Moreover,
by a wired communication method, such as the Ethernet or Universal Serial
Bus (USB), the first target procedure can use the wired communication
method to connect the wireless network device with the terminal device.
On the other hand, by a wireless communication method, such as wireless
transmission, Bluetooth transmission, or infrared transmission, the first
target procedure can use the wireless communication method to connect the
wireless network device with the terminal device. The target signal is a
beacon packet, and the sharing device continuously sends out the beacon
packet.

[0039]Referring to FIG. 4, it shows a flow diagram of a second target
procedure of the present invention, which includes following steps:
[0040](1) Each of the plural sharing devices sends out the target signal
at each time interval (402). Next, the terminal device will request the
wireless network device to search for these sharing devices (404);
[0041](2) The wireless network device receives these target signals
(406); [0042](3) These target signals are interpreted by the wireless
network device to obtain a plurality of target parameters (408);
[0043](4) The wireless network device transmits these target parameters
to the terminal device (410).

[0044]The aforementioned target parameters include the Service Set
Identifier (SSID), a signal intensity parameter, and an encryption
identification parameter, and etc. The encryption identification
parameter is used to identify whether the corresponding sharing device is
provided with an encryption function.

[0045]Referring to FIG. 5, it shows a flow diagram of a third target
procedure of the present invention, which includes following steps:
[0046](1) The terminal device receives the plural target parameters
(502); [0047](2) According to these target parameters, the terminal
device identifies the corresponding sharing devices, and display these
sharing devices on a display device (not shown in the drawing)(504);
[0048](3) The user selects one of the sharing devices to serve as the
target sharing device (506); [0049](4) The terminal device identifies
whether the target sharing device uses the encryption function (508);
[0050](5) If the target sharing device does not use that encryption
function, then the terminal device will transmit a connection instruction
to the wireless network device (510); [0051](6) By that connection
instruction, the wireless network device will make wireless connection
with the target sharing device, and record a result of connection (512).
If the target sharing device uses the encryption function, then the third
target procedure will request the user to input a secret key (514);
[0052](7) The terminal device transmits the connection instruction and
the aforementioned secret key to the wireless network device (516);
[0053](8) By the connection instruction and the aforementioned secret
key, the terminal device will make wireless connection with the target
sharing device, and record the result of connection (512).

[0054]Referring to FIG. 6, it shows a flow diagram of a test procedure of
the present invention, including following steps: [0055](1) The
wireless network device detects whether it is connected to the sharing
device (602). If the wireless network device has detected that the
sharing device has been connected wirelessly, then the wireless network
device will confirm the connection state (604); [0056](2) Next, if a
connection record of the sharing device of the wireless network device
indicates that the connection has been established, then the wireless
network device will determine whether a confirmation message is received
within a default time period (606). [0057](3) If in the default time
period, the wireless network device receives the confirmation message,
then the wireless network device will transmit a message of connection
success to the terminal device (608); [0058](4) The display device (not
shown in the drawing) of the terminal device displays an instruction
message to inform the user that the wireless network device has made
wireless connection with the target sharing device, and that the wired
connection of the wireless network device can be removed (610); [0059](5)
If in the default time period, the wireless network device does not
receive the confirmation message, then the wireless network device will
transmit a message of connection timeout to the terminal device, and the
display device of the terminal device will display a message of
connection timeout (612); [0060](6) If the wireless network device has
detected that the sharing device has not been connected wirelessly, then
the wireless network device will transmit a message of connection failure
to the terminal device (614).

[0061]It is worthy of mention that in the test procedure, the confirmation
message issued by the terminal device is transmitted wirelessly to the
wireless network device through the target sharing device. Moreover, the
message of connection timeout usually indicates that the sharing device
to be connected by the wireless network device is not the target sharing
device that the user selects. Another implementation of the test
procedure is that the confirmation message can be issued by the wireless
network device through the target sharing device, and it is the terminal
device to determine if the confirmation message has been received in the
default time period. Furthermore, if the user is to replace the target
sharing device, then he can execute the first target procedure, the
second target procedure, the third target procedure and the test
procedure again, to re-select another target sharing device and to
accomplish the testing.

[0062]It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described
herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that
a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as set forth in the following claims.

Patent applications in class Contiguous regions interconnected by a local area network

Patent applications in all subclasses Contiguous regions interconnected by a local area network